Ri Yan stared at him in silence for a long while before suddenly speaking, "She told you my name, didn't she? That little girl. You must have heard everything just now. You humans—especially women—always love relying on others. That fool trusts and clings to you, tells you everything, and can't bear to be apart from you for even a moment. That's your goal, isn't it?"
Lei Xiuyuan's brows furrowed slightly as he pondered for a moment. Then he replied indifferently, "I've heard that demons don't distinguish between genders and don't understand matters of the heart. Naturally, a demon's perspective on human emotions would be incomplete. I understand."
Ri Yan instantly flew into a rage, his gaze turning icy as he glared. "What nonsense about love and affection! I've never believed in such things! Especially from you! That's just your instinctive possessiveness! A mere arm bone drove you to such lengths, let alone a living, breathing person standing before you!"
"I know where she comes from," Lei Xiuyuan met his sickly green eyes, a trace of impatience flickering between his brows. "So what? What does it have to do with me? There's too much suspicion in this world. From the very beginning, the only thing I've ever wanted is this one person."
Ri Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter, his voice sharp even as he laughed. "Risking your life for her? She's weak and rootless now, unable to even take care of her own safety! She could have been invincible! But because of you and those other damned fools, she'd rather live as an ordinary person, barely scraping by! Love has made her countless times more foolish than before! What you want is to keep her as your plaything! You dig into every detail of her life, but how much does she know about yours? You're just using love to bewitch her—you're harming her!"
Lei Xiuyuan averted his gaze, his voice cool. "She used to be unhappy often. I suppose Elder Ri Yan must have frequently frightened her with such ominous warnings?"
"Ominous warnings?!" Ri Yan's nine tails bristled in fury. "It's because of you that her head's full of mush!"
All innocence and simplicity in this world are born from being spoiled. Only because someone has another to rely on can they afford to be recklessly fragile. Those with intricate minds and resilient ways have all been tempered through hardship. Azure City already spoiled her to the point she couldn't learn anything. After finally leaving, she grew a little—only for Lei Xiuyuan to come along and reduce her to calling out "Xiu Yuan" all day. What storms could she possibly weather? If one day that pampering disappears, how could she survive?
"Human hearts have always been inscrutable. Friends today, enemies tomorrow. I don't trust you, and I dislike you even more!"
Ri Yan stared straight at him, his voice cold and cutting.
Lei Xiuyuan crossed his arms and gazed into the distance. "Is that so? I rather like you."
"Pfah!" Ri Yan spat angrily. "Your sweet talk won't work on me! You—"
"Elder Ri Yan, instead of wasting time here lecturing me, why not return to Green Mound? Since you're acquainted with Qing Cheng Xian Ren, you should know about his calligraphy hidden beneath the bed in the cottage there. No Moon Court's Celestials are already growing suspicious. Those works shouldn't be discovered casually, don't you think?"
Ri Yan was so furious he was left speechless, a stifled rage stuck in his chest. Not only had his tirade been in vain, but he'd also been dragged into helping—a favor he couldn't refuse. He was truly about to explode with anger."You are indeed young and clever, with a quick mind and a strong will, but don't think you can control everything in this world—especially not people's hearts," Ri Yan glared at him coldly. "That fool may be utterly stupid now, always leaning on others, but she'll wake up one day. I'd like to see if she'll still be willing to remain your captive then!"
Lei Xiuyuan still didn't look at him, but his voice grew gentle: "Old Master Ri Yan, I'm truly grateful for how you've cared for Li Fei all these years."
Ri Yan snorted, flicked his long tail, and vanished in the blink of an eye. Seeing him disappear suddenly, Li Fei hurried forward and asked, "Where's Ri Yan? Did you anger him away?"
Lei Xiuyuan chuckled. "In your heart, am I really that bad?"
Pretty much... Li Fei gave a dry laugh.
"He had something to attend to and left. He'll return after some time." Lei Xiuyuan pulled her onto his small white cloud again, his eyes tinged with gloom. "Quite the lecture indeed. It struck a chord."
Li Fei smiled softly. "Ri Yan does love to lecture. Though his words often unsettle me, I know he means well. Jade must be carved to become a vessel—he wants me to be more independent, stronger."
In the past, she had relied on her Master for everything. After her Master left, she met Ri Yan and began depending on him. When Ri Yan fell into his five-year slumber, she leaned on Lei Xiuyuan. Now that she and Lei Xiuyuan understood each other's hearts, she was determined to live as an ordinary person, never wanting to rely on anyone again.
"Always being taken care of won't do. It's time I started looking after all of you too." Li Fei grinned toothily at him. "The Seal on Ri Yan's back is about to break, and there's little I can do to help him. The least I can do is listen to him more."
Lei Xiuyuan watched her rare, radiant smile in silence, then raised a hand to pat her head lightly. "It's fine to disobey him sometimes. If you listen to him too much, I'll suffer for it."
Li Fei blinked at him. "Let me show you something."
With a flick of her wrist, a flawless orange Earthen Guardian enveloped her. Another flick, and a second layer appeared. She repeated this until five Earthen Guardians shimmered around her, their orange glow brightening the surroundings. The nearby elders began praising her: "This child has real perseverance! She's truly mastered the Earthen Guardian these past days!"
Li Fei beamed at Lei Xiuyuan's surprised eyes, pleased with herself. "This must be what Master called the 'heart of cultivation,' right? I finally understand what I want. Cultivators truly need this heart to advance."
Lei Xiuyuan murmured, "What do you want?"
"Right now, I just want to live as an ordinary person, cultivate well, and repay the kindness I've received." She paused, her thin face flushing red, but she mustered the courage to add, "And... I want to be with you forever."
Lei Xiuyuan gazed at her quietly. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, tilting his head to smile up at her. Li Fei startled—her face wasn't thick enough for such intimacy in broad daylight before so many elders. She pinched him lightly. "Put me down!"Before she could finish speaking, a sudden warmth touched her lips—he had lightly kissed her. Li Fei froze in shock, not daring to glance to either side. Then she heard him lower his voice and whisper, "Then I’ll also have a secret to tell you later, after this demon hunt and refining the Mystical Treasure."
A secret? Li Fei lowered her gaze to meet his eyes. The mist that had once clouded them seemed to have vanished, leaving them clear, direct, and bold. She stared for a long moment until she saw a refreshing smile slowly emerge in his eyes, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
"Alright," she said, lightly bumping her forehead against his. "No secret, no matter how shocking, will scare me. Just try me."
Ahem. Guangwei Zhenren suddenly coughed twice nearby. Li Fei scrambled out of Lei Xiuyuan’s arms, trying hard to compose herself and not appear too flustered. Chongyi Zhenren smiled and said, "We’ve arrived at White Edge Cliff. Leaving the two of you outside alone is too dangerous—come inside with us."
So they had already reached White Edge Cliff. Li Fei gazed into the distance, surprised to find an unexpectedly vast and lush green plain stretching before her, dotted with brilliantly colored flowers. At the center of the plain, two towering peaks rose abruptly, their summits connected by a thin ridge of rock no wider than five or six inches at its broadest point. The peaks themselves were barren, their dark stone surfaces devoid of vegetation, save for that single snow-white ridge—hence the name White Edge Cliff.
"This place is a Trial Grounds prepared for disciples on the verge of breaking through the sixth Bottleneck," Chongyi Zhenren explained. "It’s vastly different from where you’ve been before. Once inside, the four of us—master and disciples—will wait only at the Barrier’s entrance. Do not wander even a single step."
Li Fei and the others immediately responded with respectful assent. The group activated the stone tablet marking the Barrier’s entrance, and Li Fei felt a gentle yet irresistible force pull her inside in an instant. Her vision blurred, and when it cleared, she found herself standing at the edge of a sheer cliff. Before her, a rolling Cloud Sea stretched endlessly, and within it floated countless resplendent palaces and enormous islands, far more magnificent than the floating islands of the Academy. The grandeur and beauty of the sight were unlike anything she had ever seen.
Chongyi Zhenren continued, "This was once an Immortal Sect. Five hundred years ago, during the Sea Fall, the sect was annihilated, and since then, it has become a den for Demons and Ferocious Beasts."
An entire Immortal Sect—wiped out! What a tragic fate! This sect’s grandeur seemed no less than that of the No Moon Court, yet it had been utterly destroyed?
Cuixuan Xianren glanced at Chongyi Zhenren. "Is it appropriate to speak so freely before junior disciples?"
Chongyi Zhenren smiled. "This junior merely believes there’s no need for deliberate concealment. What they ought to know, they will learn in time."
"Then let them learn when the time is right. You’ve overstepped." Cuixuan Xianren pressed his palms together, and when he parted them again, a rift to the Lesser World had already opened between them. "Shouzhong, accompany me inside. Let’s ensure everything is in order."
Li Fei couldn’t help but glance back at Lei Xiuyuan. Qing Cheng Xian Ren had already passed away—though they hadn’t been the ones to act, only the two of them had entered the Lesser World. The black ledger was still tucked in her robes. If Cuixuan Xianren, this meticulous and suspicious elder, insisted on digging for answers, things could turn ugly.Lei Xiuyuan grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The next moment, Cuixuan Xianren swiftly emerged from the Lesser World. His drowsy eyes were now wide open, gleaming sharply as he silently scrutinized Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan back and forth. The two immediately feigned bewildered expressions and bowed respectfully.
"Chongyi, come with me inside," Cuixuan Xianren said in a chilling tone.
Equally puzzled, Chongyi Zhenren hurriedly followed Cuixuan Xianren into the Lesser World. This was his first time witnessing the Lesser World, and upon seeing the two opposing mountain peaks—one upright, the other inverted—he instantly realized this was the Mirror Technique. The inverted peak was the true center of the Lesser World.
Upon entering the Outlander Tomb, they found Shouzhong Xianren crouched before a desiccated corpse deep within the hall, meticulously releasing a searching Immortal Technique inch by inch, as if trying to uncover something from the remains. Chongyi Zhenren grew even more suspicious but refrained from asking.
"Use your Spirit Detection Net to see if there are any suspicious traces within the hall," Cuixuan Xianren deliberately added, "Leave no stone unturned."
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